Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

In my previous post I described how I became the proud owner of an unexpected fifty pounds of potatoes. After spending an afternoon turning fifteen pounds of those potatoes into Potatoes O'Brien, I still had supper to cook. Desperate to use up more of the potatoes, I decided to make scalloped potatoes.

This recipe is comforting and easy enough for any weeknight meal, but it is also elegant enough to accompany any holiday or special occasion meal. A mandolin makes this job much easier and quicker, but it is not required if you are handy enough with a knife to cut potatoes into thin slices.

Ingredients:
3 T butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped or sliced finely
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c all purpose flour
3-1/3 c milk
1/3 c cream
1/3 c water
2 t Orrington Farms Chicken Broth Base
      Powder
1 t salt
1/2 t seasoning salt
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t black pepper
1 pinch thyme
4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, divided
4 lbs potatoes, thinly sliced
Parsley flakes

Directions:
Slice potatoes, placing in cold water until ready to use. Chop onions and mince garlic, setting aside. Preheat oven to 400° F.

Gather all needed ingredients and begin melting butter over medium-high heat.

Once butter is melted and hot, add onion and cook until translucent. Add minced garlic and cook and additional 30 seconds to one minute, until garlic is fragrant. Stir in flour. Stir continuously while cooking one to two minutes. Pour in milk, cream, and water that has been mixed together slowly, stirring constantly. Quickly add in all the spices, stopping to stir occasionally to keep the sauce from sticking to and burning on the bottom. Monitor the heat carefully. You don't want it to come to a full boil. Small bubbles around the outside edges is about right. Add half of the cheese. And continue to stir. The mixture will eventually thicken up. I promise!

Once the sauce is nice and thick, drain the potato slices well and add them to the sauce. Carefully stir them into the sauce, coating them well. 

Layer half of the mixture into a buttered 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle on half of the remaining cheese. Sprinkle on desired amount of parsley flakes.

Repeat with remaining potatoes. Pour any sauce remaining in the pot over the potatoes, and add remaining cheese. Sprinkle on desired amount of parsley. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and continue to cook 30 minutes or until potatoes are done. Place foil back over the dish loosely if the top begins to get too dark before the potatoes are done. Remove your beautiful scalloped potatoes from the oven and enjoy!

For a delicious one dish meal, try adding in cubes of ham! What is your favorite way to enjoy scalloped potatoes?

Until we meet again, may you be blessed!